squadron comander review

[pipe maker]

I've been reading all the rave reviews squadron commander so I purchased a tin and found it to be typical and forgetable as english tobaccos go . What are your thoughts brothers??

 

[ftrplt]

PM....Do you mean Squadron Leader? FTRPLT

 

[pipe maker]

See I forgot :affraid:

 

[Sasquatch]

It's typical and forgettable in the same way that Tolkien is typical of fantasy literature. Utterly typical, because it couldn't be a benchmark if it wasn't typical.

There are, I think, some pretty atypical nuances to squadron leader, but you have to damn near dedicate a pipe to it to find them. First, it's both sweeter and heavier on orientals than many "typical" english mixtures. Kind of like if Frog Morton had some balls. Second, there's a real faint trace of some kind of almost floral essence. The first time I tasted it I thought it was maybe a ghost from some aromatic or other, but no, if you hunt for it and think about it, there is a very gentle caress of "lakeland essence" in it which offers the palate a bit of a break from the darker latakia flavors.

Overall, the balance is harmonious. You can taste the component tobaccos, but nothing is overwhelming. It's a blend in the deepest meaning of the word.

If a guy reads a lot of fantasy, and reads current authors like George Martin or even Gemmel, if you go back and read "the blueprint", ie, Lord of the Rings, it seems trite, contrived, and a little childish. The newer authors are "more developed" in the craft, but the craft only exists because of the pioneering done by Tolkien.

Bring it back to tobacco. How long has squadron leader been on the market? Perhaps it has been "surpassed" by the great Pease blends or some other.... it matters not. The benchmark is the benchmark, and we can only find it plain because so many others are trying to be like it.

 

[gospelman]

There has been a ton of stuff said about SL. I find it to be a very balanced smoke, with a very nice lat-hit. Not as smoky as, say, Durbar, or Westminster, but very enjoyable. I have absolutely no complaints with Squadron Leader. (except that it's getting hard to find).

Mike

 

[babysinister]

Squadron comander who dat?

Damn Sasquatch, your review approaches Cartesian logic, yet avoids the intellectual sprawl of Aristotelian disquisitions. What you said, but are you sure there are no quantum mechanics involved here?

I love SL, so based on your recommendation I will go ahead and dedicate a new pipe to it. Guess which one? Whenever it gets here, that is. :bounce:

 

[Sasquatch]

Yeah I think Aristotle smoked it too. Er.

 

[scottbtdmb]

I bought a tin last year and didn't care for the stuff, but members of my pipe club talked up a limited edition blend that was at the Chicago show last year that contained added Perique. I had one of my local blenders add some Perique and a little extra Latakia to the tin and it turned out wonderful. I wound up cellaring a couple of jars to boot! Just goes to show you how sometimes you have to customize sub-par blends to make them a little tastier!

-Scott

 

[ftrplt]

Wasn't aware that SL contained any Perique! FTRPLT

 

[dtboomer]

Squadron Leader is my favorite smoke..........

 

[phillpsych]

I'm mostly a Va or VaPer smoker, but when I want an English blend, I turn to Squadron Leader. I find it quite nice. It smokes easily, with no bite, and makes clouds of smoke. It has a nice English flavor, but not overpowering in the Latakia. It's a go to smoke if there ever was one... nothing special for me, but of the English blends, just fine. For a Virginia smoker, that is.

Now trying to find that perfect Va... god help me I struggle with that. What a great problem to have!

 

[Dock]

I always found it relatively interchangeable with Dunhill's "Early Morning Pipe". Of course, this was years ago when I smoked english weed exclusively. YMMV :lol:

 

[Funn]

From a person that smokes all styles of tobacco Squadron
Leader is one of my favorites. I have a rack of pipes I call
my RAF pipes dedicated to that and Skiff.

Funn

 

[dean]

Squadron Leader is my go to English. It is not too heavy, but has that straight Latakia flavor. I like it better than Dunhill's EMP. I have a jar of EMP that I dip into only when I am out of SL. Here in Tokyo, my favorite Tobacconist can't keep it on the shelves.